I had an accident on the way to work today, so upset and budget buster! UPDATE PG.2

[SandrA9810]

If your front end is smashed in, I'd be worried about the radiator leaking, then over heating your car. There's quite a bit of vital parts right there behind the bumper, that could cause a lot of problems with driving long haul.

My first accident was when I was driving to school, maybe only about 5mph as I was coming to a stop at a red light. I was young and stupid and didn't gauge myself right, and bumped the car in front of me. We got out, looked at the cars, he didn't have any damage, so he said just go on. Got home from school and the car was over heating badly, I punctured the radiator with a bolt that held the fan in place. Thankfully, my BIL is a mechanic and was able to diagnose it and fix it. But that first big Oops while driving the car, I was terrified of going home and telling.

Do you have any tow services with your insurance or AAA?? I know AAA with the basic package tows the first 5 miles free (or the distance to the closest repair facility), after that it's $5 per mile. Or you can upgrade to the next package that includes 100 miles free.

 

[traces7]

If your front end is smashed in, I'd be worried about the radiator leaking, then over heating your car. There's quite a bit of vital parts right there behind the bumper, that could cause a lot of problems with driving long haul.

My first accident was when I was driving to school, maybe only about 5mph as I was coming to a stop at a red light. I was young and stupid and didn't gauge myself right, and bumped the car in front of me. We got out, looked at the cars, he didn't have any damage, so he said just go on. Got home from school and the car was over heating badly, I punctured the radiator with a bolt that held the fan in place. Thankfully, my BIL is a mechanic and was able to diagnose it and fix it. But that first big Oops while driving the car, I was terrified of going home and telling.

Do you have any tow services with your insurance or AAA?? I know AAA with the basic package tows the first 5 miles free (or the distance to the closest repair facility), after that it's $5 per mile. Or you can upgrade to the next package that includes 100 miles free.

The radiator is really bent, but not leaking. And yes we have AAA with the upgrade.

 

[richmond282]

The radiator is really bent, but not leaking. And yes we have AAA with the upgrade.

Have it towed! It's not worth it to try to drive it. Good luck! I'm glad you're OK and I hope everything works out for you.

 

[traces7]

Another update:
The insurance company figured the damages to be $2600 and gave me a check for $2100 ($500 off for our deductible). The body shop estimate is $2400. And we get a free loaner car while it's being reapaired. Should we fix it or sell it? The insurance company said it was up to us to decide what to do. It has a lot of miles on it (193,500), but we had planned on driving it at least a couple more years. So, I'm leaning toward fixing it. Have to talk to DH yet though. Any opinions?

 

[a1tinkfans]

the body shop will prob take the amount the carrier will pay you. (you'll have to feel them out, let them know you have NO MONEY Xtra to give them if you decide to fix it)) I do not know which would be better though, fix it or try and get another?? Sorry this happened but glad you are okay. hope it works out, whatever you decide!
Oh, is teh carrier saying its a total OR is that for the damages. If you take it as a total does that mean you do not need collision any more since they "paid" you the value???

 

[traces7]

the body shop will prob take the amount the carrier will pay you. (you'll have to feel them out, let them know you have NO MONEY Xtra to give them if you decide to fix it)) I do not know which would be better though, fix it or try and get another?? Sorry this happened but glad you are okay. hope it works out, whatever you decide!
Oh, is teh carrier saying its a total OR is that for the damages. If you take it as a total does that mean you do not need collision any more since they "paid" you the value???

No they definitely didn't total it. The adjuster told me he does it this way because if he totaled it, we would have gotten less money. But he said we were free to use the check to fix it or buy another vehicle whichever we decided. The car's blue book value is about $2500 also.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Hmmm, I would check and see what used car $2100-$2400 would get you first before having it fixed. And whether you have to pay money to dispose of it or even if it is worth anything being sold as spare parts?

My main worry that it will have problems after being fixed and it was getting really old to begin with. Would you want to have to put yet again more money into it? I would lean toward getting an used car that I think would last me another 5 years+.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[traces7]

Hmmm, I would check and see what used car $2100-$2400 would get you first before having it fixed. And whether you have to pay money to dispose of it or even if it is worth anything being sold as spare parts?

My main worry that it will have problems after being fixed and it was getting really old to begin with. Would you want to have to put yet again more money into it? I would lean toward getting an used car that I think would last me another 5 years+.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

We haven't seen much in that price range for sale that look any better than what I have. The thing is that it's been a really good car. No major problems. But I do worry that more could be coming. The insurance adjuster said you never know someone might buy it as is for $1000. Than we'd have $3100 toward a new vehicle. I don't really want one with a payment as we are hopefully getting DH a new vehicle. His truck has 225,000 miles on it and we've been saving up for that. My head is just splitting from everything that has been happening the last 2 days!

 

[surfgirl]

sorry to hear of the mishap.

I wouldn't repair it. Honestly, it just isn't worth that kind of money into a vehicle with that many miles. I don't remember how old it is, but car companies make safety leaps every 5 years or so, so a newer car would also be safer.

I had a car once that was about 4 years old - it was a "good car" and I fixed it. Biggest mistake I made - it was never right and always had a noticeable 'hum' over 30 mph. No matter how many times I had it aligned, it always pulled to one side also. In retrospect, I wished that I had taken the cash, found (or borrowed) some extra money and gotten something more reliable. I ended up getting rid of this car for less money than I expected and many years earlier than I planned because it had problems.

good luck.

 

[DVCBELLE]

We haven't seen much in that price range for sale that look any better than what I have. The thing is that it's been a really good car. No major problems. But I do worry that more could be coming. The insurance adjuster said you never know someone might buy it as is for $1000. Than we'd have $3100 toward a new vehicle. I don't really want one with a payment as we are hopefully getting DH a new vehicle. His truck has 225,000 miles on it and we've been saving up for that. My head is just splitting from everything that has been happening the last 2 days!

I would take it into a dealer and see what they trade it for. They might buy it for parts...b/c if combine a trade in with your cash - you might have a nice down payment!

 

[jgates]

Not being critical of anyone who says to get a new one, but if you have taken good care of your vehicle & kept it maintained, it probably has a lot of life left in it. I sold my one van with 214,000 miles & the people that bought it are still driving it 5 years later. DH's car has over 240,000 miles on it. Putting new brakes in for $250 is a LOT cheaper than a $400 car payment every month. We normally don't even buy our cards until they have around 100,000 miles on them. I bought a 9 year old Blazer a few years ago - $5500. In the years since I have bought tires, struts (?) & rear brakes (I'm very hard on them) and a few miscellaneous things. At MOST I have invested $1200 in the vehicle in repairs. So under $7000 for a car that has run for 5 years already - and still going strong. And we bought it with over 100,000 on it.

My suggestion would be at this point to get it fixed & keep going along. In the meantime, spec out a couple of vehicles you would like, figure out what a monthly payment would be on that car and then begin BANKING either that amount or a good portion of it every month. It will get your budget used to having a payment again, while also building up a downpayment for the next vehicle. The longer this vehicle keeps runnng, the more you will have saved up.

Don't even start me on not buying a brand new car, LOL. Example: A girl DD knows purchased a car 1.5 years ago with her percap payment. $24,000. 18 mos later it books at $14,000. DD bought it cash for $10,500. So the girl, even if she sold it at book value, lost $10,000 in an 18 month period.

 

[traces7]

I would take it into a dealer and see what they trade it for. They might buy it for parts...b/c if combine a trade in with your cash - you might have a nice down payment!

The only thing is we can't afford a car payment right now. So we have to find something we can pay cash for. There doesn't seem to be much in that price range so far. Plus we're worried we'd just be buying someone else's headache. We'll see though. We're going to check a couple dealers and see what they have.

 

[jgates]

Then definitely go back & read what I just posted LOL. Start low then - $50 a month - bank it. After 3 months when you are used to stashing that, double it to $100. Keep building. Get the downpayment saved up & get used to the monthly outlay. Keep the car going as long as you can.

 

[traces7]

Not being critical of anyone who says to get a new one, but if you have taken good care of your vehicle & kept it maintained, it probably has a lot of life left in it. I sold my one van with 214,000 miles & the people that bought it are still driving it 5 years later. DH's car has over 240,000 miles on it. Putting new brakes in for $250 is a LOT cheaper than a $400 car payment every month. We normally don't even buy our cards until they have around 100,000 miles on them. I bought a 9 year old Blazer a few years ago - $5500. In the years since I have bought tires, struts (?) & rear brakes (I'm very hard on them) and a few miscellaneous things. At MOST I have invested $1200 in the vehicle in repairs. So under $7000 for a car that has run for 5 years already - and still going strong. And we bought it with over 100,000 on it.

My suggestion would be at this point to get it fixed & keep going along. In the meantime, spec out a couple of vehicles you would like, figure out what a monthly payment would be on that car and then begin BANKING either that amount or a good portion of it every month. It will get your budget used to having a payment again, while also building up a downpayment for the next vehicle. The longer this vehicle keeps runnng, the more you will have saved up.

Don't even start me on not buying a brand new car, LOL. Example: A girl DD knows purchased a car 1.5 years ago with her percap payment. $24,000. 18 mos later it books at $14,000. DD bought it cash for $10,500. So the girl, even if she sold it at book value, lost $10,000 in an 18 month period.

Thanks for your opinion. Because it really has been a great car and even though it has a lot of miles, they're all highway miles. I was actually kind of sad that I might have to get rid of it. I thought maybe we were dumb to even consider fixing it. We've taken really good care of it all these years. Still not exactly sure what we're going to do though. We don't usually buy brand new. Although my DH's truck we did buy brand new, only because we got a discount from my dad working at Chrysler.

 

[traces7]

Then definitely go back & read what I just posted LOL. Start low then - $50 a month - bank it. After 3 months when you are used to stashing that, double it to $100. Keep building. Get the downpayment saved up & get used to the monthly outlay. Keep the car going as long as you can.

That's a good idea. That's pretty much what we've been trying to do this past year. We've been trying to save up for a new truck for my DH, his truck has 225,000 miles on it. So we were hoping to get him a new vehicle first.
I didn't see your first message, we must have posted almost at the same time.

 

[jgates]

Yeah we only had ONE vehicle we ever bought new. Drove it 16 years & believe it or not it still had the ORIGINAL battery in it . DD finally totaled it nailing a deer head on. He was more upset the battery split open than about the truck being totalled LOL!

I won't go into my 'mom' lecture, but I always harp it to my kids - if you drift off, don't jerk the wheel!!!! You found out the hard way but you are still very lucky & I'm glad you are only sore!

 

[traces7]

I won't go into my 'mom' lecture, but I always harp it to my kids - if you drift off, don't jerk the wheel!!!! You found out the hard way but you are still very lucky & I'm glad you are only sore!

Yeah, I should know better, but I always seem to do the wrong thing when something like this happens.

 

[marie1203]

I would total it. It doesn't make sense to put $2500 worth of repairs in a a car worth $2500. Plus with so many miles doesn't have much left. As someone already said you sell and get some extra money towards a newer car.

 

[cheap traveler]

Does how the car looks bother you? If not, you could check with the shop, or another one for a price-comparison, to see what is the minimum required to have the car road-worthy.

I own a repair shop, we do body work and mechanical repairs. Of course you have to have working lights, and they need to be secured to the car. Fog lights are not important, they are more a show item than anything else. You want to make sure the radiator is holding pressure - there are many bent radiators on the road right now, as long as it doesn't leak you would be ok to just keep an eye on it. And I would suggest taking it to a reputible alignment shop - not a cheap chain place, they have no idea how to align a car most of the time. Around here in NY, the chain places charge $30 to do an alignment, and they never even touch the bolts required to properly line the car up.

If you can get it back on the road for under $1000, that would allow you a bit more on the truck down payment, and allow you more time to save up for a car for yourself.

Quick story - one of our good customers fixed his daughter's car after she totalled it (bought the car back from the insurance company). He spent all of the insurance money to put it right. She left our shop, headed straight to the highway on her way back to school, and roughly 90 miles from here the engine went. After sinking all that money into the car that same week, he felt like he had to put an engine in it too - and extra $3000! She could have had a nice used car for that money.

Good luck with your decision. And don't let the insurance company tell you that you have to use one of their shops. That's against the law - you can use any shop you want.

 

[plummer925]

Does how the car looks bother you? If not, you could check with the shop, or another one for a price-comparison, to see what is the minimum required to have the car road-worthy.

I own a repair shop, we do body work and mechanical repairs. Of course you have to have working lights, and they need to be secured to the car. Fog lights are not important, they are more a show item than anything else. You want to make sure the radiator is holding pressure - there are many bent radiators on the road right now, as long as it doesn't leak you would be ok to just keep an eye on it. And I would suggest taking it to a reputible alignment shop - not a cheap chain place, they have no idea how to align a car most of the time. Around here in NY, the chain places charge $30 to do an alignment, and they never even touch the bolts required to properly line the car up.

If you can get it back on the road for under $1000, that would allow you a bit more on the truck down payment, and allow you more time to save up for a car for yourself.

Quick story - one of our good customers fixed his daughter's car after she totalled it (bought the car back from the insurance company). He spent all of the insurance money to put it right. She left our shop, headed straight to the highway on her way back to school, and roughly 90 miles from here the engine went. After sinking all that money into the car that same week, he felt like he had to put an engine in it too - and extra $3000! She could have had a nice used car for that money.

Good luck with your decision. And don't let the insurance company tell you that you have to use one of their shops. That's against the law - you can use any shop you want.

I think that this is fantastic advice. I just had my radiator replaced - it was only $125 for the part and 1 hour of labor. That was a new radiator on a 2001 Suzuki Vitara.

You probably should look into what you MUST replace and not worry about the cosmetic stuff - I bet you'd save yourself big bucks $$$$!